‘Sal’ Trailer: James Franco’s Sal Mineo Biopic Is Artsy or Something

‘Sal’ Trailer: James Franco’s Sal Mineo Biopic Is Artsy or Something

From the mind of our foremost Young Actor Turned Serious Artist James Franco comes the story of another young star who tried to shed his youthful image in Hollywood – Sal Mineo. Franco’s latest directorial venture, the Mineo biopic Sal, focuses on the time after his celebrated turn in Rebel Without a Cause that set him up for a long road of typecasting.

Rebel would define Mineo’s (Val Lauren) career, and his struggles to be seen as more than a pretty face, as you can see in the trailer, made his life hellish. Historical spoiler: Mineo’s story ends (and this biopic, likely), with his tragic stabbing in the alley behind his apartment at the premature age of 37.

While the source material is compelling, the trailer is just awful. It looks like Franco slapped some 1950s-period accurate clothing on Lauren and his cohorts and then filmed in sketchy areas of LA when other people just conveniently weren’t around. “Everybody clear out of this theater for a couple hours, please. I owe Mr. Franco a favor.” The sound is off, too.

Is this Franco trying to make a statement again or something that I’m not “getting?” Check out the trailer for yourself here: